What does the recovery of refrigerant from a system as a vapor minimize?

• A. The loss of oil
• B. The loss of refrigerant
• C. The risk of contaminating the refrigerant
• D. The time taken for recovery

Answer: (A)

Recovering refrigerant from a system as a vapor minimizes the loss of oil in the system. When refrigerant is recovered in a vapor state, it allows for the oil mixed with the refrigerant to remain in the compressor rather than being drawn out along with liquid refrigerant, which typically contains more oil. This is essential for the proper functioning of the system since oil serves as a lubricant for the compressor's moving parts. By minimizing oil loss, the integrity and efficiency of the compressor are maintained, promoting better system reliability and performance.

Although loss of refrigerant, risk of contamination, and recovery time are important factors to consider during refrigerant recovery, the specific advantage of vapor recovery is its impact on oil retention within the system.